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BIOGLUE Intelligence
OPEN KNOWLEDGE · MATERIALS RESEARCH

Better bonds.
Built on evidence.

Bio-based adhesives for wood products.

Explore the chemistry, evidence and practical limits of the next generation of wood binders. From a promising molecule to a qualified panel.

Explore the routes Follow the evidence

Particleboard · MDF · Plywood · Assembly

INSIDE THE BONDFIG. 01
Wood layers joined by an adhesive interfaceAn exploded conceptual diagram separates the wood layers and binder network. It illustrates the interface, not a specific chemical structure.WOODBINDER NETWORKINTERFACE
Chemistry → performance → evidenceConceptual illustration
08Technology routesFrom lignin to renewable crosslinkers5Checked developments2026-Q3 · source-linked evidence174Research leads2026 Q1–Q4 · machine-triaged31Verified referencesExplore the literature
01 / THE TECHNOLOGY LANDSCAPE

Many routes. One demanding bond.

Understand the chemistry. Compare the constraints.

Compare all routes
01
Phenolic biopolymer

Lignin

The most abundant aromatic biopolymer, used mainly to replace phenol in PF-type resins.

2 checked Q38 leads Q4
02
Polyamide biopolymers

Proteins

Soy, casein, zein, gelatine and side-stream proteins; soy with PAE is the commercial reference.

1 checked Q39 leads Q4
03
Polyphenolic extractives

Tannins

Condensed tannins from bark and wood, the longest-running industrial bio-phenolic wood adhesive.

0 checked Q31 leads Q4
04
Polysaccharides and sugars

Carbohydrates

Starch, cellulose derivatives, sugars and chitosan, used as binders, co-reactants or extenders.

0 checked Q34 leads Q4
05
Ester-forming binders

Polycarboxylic acid systems

Citric acid with sucrose or other polyols forms ester crosslinks in the hot press without aldehydes.

0 checked Q31 leads Q4
06
Reactive co-components

Renewable crosslinkers and aldehyde substitutes

Glyoxal, 5-HMF, furanics and bio-based epoxides that replace formaldehyde or fossil crosslinkers.

1 checked Q32 leads Q4
07
Hydroxyurethane chemistry

Non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPU)

Cyclic carbonates reacting with amines build polyurethanes without isocyanates or phosgene.

0 checked Q30 leads Q4
08
Vinyl and acrylic polymers

Bio-based acrylics and dispersions (watch)

Watch list for renewable acrylic acid and esters feeding dispersion and assembly adhesives.

1 checked Q30 leads Q4

Checked developments and machine-triaged leads are separate evidence categories. How we verify →

02 / THE ENGINEERING QUESTION

Renewable is only the beginning.

A useful binder must work on the production line, too.

Regulation

From 6 August 2026, REACH Annex XVII entry 77 limits formaldehyde release from furniture and wood-based articles on the EU market to 0.062 mg/m³ under its test conditions (Regulation (EU) 2023/1464). Similar limits apply in North America through CARB and TSCA Title VI.

Carbon and circularity

Binders are a small share of a panel's mass but a large share of its fossil content and embodied emissions. Debondable binders could also make panels recyclable. Any carbon claim still needs a defined functional unit and a comparison with the incumbent.

The gap

Many bio-adhesives match UF in dry laboratory tests. Few match it on wet strength, press time, cost per qualified board and supply at the same time. This site tracks progress on those constraints rather than headline claims.

Explore the constraints
Water and moisture resistance Press time, temperature and line throughput Viscosity, solids content and pot life Formaldehyde and VOC emissions Renewable-content accounting Feedstock variability and supply Biological durability and ageing Cost per qualified bond Comparable life-cycle evidence End of life and recyclability
03 / ON THE RESEARCH RADAR

New signals. Open questions.

2026-Q4 · Sept 2026 – Nov 2026 · Scanned through 2026-10-14

All quarterly leads
machine-triagedresearchLignin25 Sept 2026· Science Advances

Aqueous lignin adhesive for high-performance wood bonding

A formaldehyde-free aqueous adhesive based on cysteine-functionalized lignin self-cured via amide bonds and bonded plywood with 4.0 MPa dry strength and high wet-strength retention.
“The solvent-free lignin adhesive for plywood outperforms commercial resins, demonstrating exceptional dry strength (4.0 MPa), high wet-strength retention (83.7%)”
machine-triagedresearchProteins17 Sept 2026· Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry

A Soybean Meal-Based Adhesive with Improved Hot-Pressing Efficiency and Water Resistance Fabricated from Polyamidoamine-Epichlorohydrin, Low-Cost Melamine-Urea-Glyoxal, and Blocked Polyurethane Resins

Soybean meal adhesive crosslinked with PAE, melamine-urea-glyoxal and blocked polyurethane reduced hot-pressing temperature and time for plywood bonding.
“The optimal SM/PAEc/MUG30/BPU5 adhesive exhibited a 12.5% lower hot-pressing temperature of 105 °C, a 20% shorter hot-pressing time of 4 min”
machine-triagedresearchProteins22 Sept 2026· Polymers

A Formaldehyde-Free, Soy Protein-Based Adhesive with P-N-Si Synergistic Flame Retardancy for Plywood Application

A formaldehyde-free soy protein, collagen and MDI adhesive containing a phosphorus-nitrogen-silicon flame retardant was prepared and tested on eucalyptus plywood.
“to fabricate a flame-retardant adhesive for eucalyptus plywood.”
machine-triagedresearchLignin29 Sept 2026· Polymer Engineering & Science

Polyacrylamide Graft Modification of Alkali Lignin for Formaldehyde‐Free Wood Adhesives With Enhanced Bonding Strength, Fracture Resistance, and Water Resistance

Alkali lignin was grafted with polyacrylamide and combined with epoxy crosslinker triglycidylamine to give a formaldehyde-free wood adhesive.
“formaldehyde‐free lignin‐based wood adhesives with balanced bonding strength, fracture resistance, and water resistance”
KEEP EXPLORING

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